Veggie Vie

Tucked on McHenry Street, a quiet lane off the CBD's western grid, this small room makes the case that plant-based food can be both wholesome and lively. The kitchen is entirely vegan, no meat, dairy or egg, turning out vibrant grain bowls, burgers and loaded fries by day, with toasties and croissants for the coffee crowd and a hot pot that changes with the cooks' mood. A short list of natural wine nudges the daytime cafe toward something more social on Friday evenings, the one night the doors stay open late. It comes across less as a health-food statement than a neighbourhood canteen that happens to leave animals off the menu, colour and generosity doing the persuading. Weekday lunches are the busy stretch; weekends are dark.